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Reviews For: Scorpion Antennas SA-680

Category: Antennas: HF Mobile & Accessories

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Review Summary For : Scorpion Antennas SA-680
Reviews: 106MSRP: 1045
Description:
SA-680 covers 10 through 80 meters.
Length retracted: 39” Extended:57”
3 inch diameter coil with 10 gage tinned copper wire wound at 6 Threads Per Inch.
Mobile or backyard typical vswr 1.5:1 or less.
Antenna rated at 1500 watts PEP
Weight 18 Lbs
Product is in production
More Info: http://www.scorpionantennas.com/
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
151065
K7EDZ Rating: 2017-08-05
FANTASTIC Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I purchased my Scorpion SA680 two years ago used as this was my first screwdriver antenna I emailed Ron and after explaining I purchased it used he still helped me get it installed and setup on my car. last week the motor slowed down and started making noise I called Ron and he said bring it over, I took it by his shop and dropped it off and a few days later he called and had it repaired. He rebuilt the antenna and when I asked how much for the repair he said it has a lifetime warranty and no charge. Ron gives Fantastic service and a warranty equal to none.Thanks Ron.
WW4UW Rating: 2017-05-19
Awesome!!! Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I've been a mobile Ham for 15 years plus. I've always liked the three inch coil motorized antenna. I found the Scorpion antenna on the internet. Called Ron and inquired about it, he was very helpful and answered all my questions about the antenna. I really liked the # 10 wired wound coils,the PL 239 antenna connection, the heavy duty base mounting requirements. The antenna is built to last, stainless hardware. The antenna is packaged very well for shipping. It's a real work of art to behold when you get it unpacked. You see why is packaged the way it is.

The install was a dream on my 2017 Ram 2500, I installed it right behind the cab in the bed of the truck center mount. It all went together no problem. One of the easiest installs I've done!!! Getting awesome reports with my IC 7000, 500 watts into the Scorpion 680.

You cannot go wrong with this antenna!!! Built to perform and last forever!!
WA6KDH Rating: 2017-05-07
WA6KDH Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
A few months ago I decided to get back into HF mobile operations after I retired. After doing research on E Ham and other sources, it seemed clear that the Scorpion Antenna system was the best alternative. I phoned and talked to Ron about the 680 and 680s. After some deliberations I wound up purchasing a used 680S from a private party. The antenna did not come with a 6’ foot whip so Ron was able to supply that, a controller, and a new shunt coil at a very fair price. After installation in the bed of my pickup, I had a mishap resulting in a broken coax connector. My fault.
Long story short I shipped the 680s to Ron and he had it returned to me in six days including shipping time. The antenna works great (before and after repairs) and he made the repair at no charge. Now that is great customer service. Thanks Ron
In March and April of this year I made a 5,000 mile round trip from CA to Texas that included numerous side trips. The 680S worked great on the trip with contacts on 20m and 40m. Dust storms, rain storms, etc. no problems. Got a few second looks from the border patrol along the Rio Grande in Texas.
K1USA Rating: 2017-04-28
World Class Nothing to Compare it to. Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I give this antenna a 5 because I can't give it a 10! A bit of history is Mike and I were driving west on interstate 44 between St Louis, MO and our home in the Fort Leonard Wood area. I was talking to my brother Mike in Virginia on Mike's Scorpion that was mounted on Mike's truck at the time. I told my brother hold on someone was calling me. The station was in VK land (Australia) he ask me if I was talking on a scorpion antenna in the mobile. I said how did you know and he said he had two of them and he could tell. The next week I had Mike's antenna mounted on my truck. I have some very interesting QSO lot's of them DX from my truck in the past year or so. As my friend Bill always tell me the proof is in the pudding. My proof is in my logbook.
KF5DGD Rating: 2017-04-06
Solid antenna and customer support Time Owned: more than 12 months.
After more than 2 years of gathering components and dealing with a layoff, I finally installed my HF rig and SA-680 in my truck, only to have it "apparently" die on me while attempting to perform initial matching and tuning.

I emailed Ron NI7J, describing my issue, along with a few photos of my setup. Within 12 hours, I had a response with suggestions, and when that didn't work, Ron called me and within 20 minutes, had me up and running! He also gave me a few suggestions for improving my setup.

I spent quite a bit of time researching HF mobile antennas, and firmly believe in the "Buy Once, Cry Once" philosophy when it comes to purchasing quality gear. Ron's fast and attentive customer service, along with a well-made product, have made me a customer for life.
K9UAV Rating: 2016-12-18
Incredible Customer Service Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
I needed a portable for my first home antenna. Something I could set up and take down. This antenna is incredibly well built. I have an eight band counterpoise ring for 10,12,15,17,20,40,60,and 80 meters.

As a newbie, Ron was more than happy to talk to me on the phone about tuning an antenna so I learned a lot during setup.

My SWRs are all where they need to be and I have no trouble making contact from here in Nebraska to a coast. Today I talked to Jamaica using 100w. 2000 miles on a vertical that is only 6 feet off the ground. Not too shabby! I can't imagine how well the ground plane would be if this were attached to a vehicle.

Thanks Ron for making such a great product! The antenna is absolutely the best!
KF4ZZ Rating: 2016-06-16
Excellent Mobile Antenna Time Owned: 6 to 12 months.
I have owned and used several of the 'screwdriver' design mobile antennas over the last 20 years. They all worked to some extent, but the design from Scorpion is far superior in design and implementation. They have shown excellent post sales customer service. While there may be a wait for delivery the product is extremely well packages for delivery. Assembly is straight forward. I encountered no issues. The antenna performs well, much better than I expected from a truck mounted mobile. I do recommend that one of the automatic controllers be added to make the mobile operation hands-free and safer for the operator.
N5JT Rating: 2016-05-09
Excellent Antenna and Support Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
After trying lots of different antennas for a home setup, I took a page from the mobile guys and opted for this SA-680 as a ground mounted vertical with buried radials. After getting everything set up and connected, I'm blown away by how well it works. The construction is top notch and Ron's customer service is outstanding.

If you are a home user and want a great performing antenna, I'd encourage you to strongly consider the SA-680.
K6OG Rating: 2016-01-30
Great Antenna Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I have owned the Scorpion SA-680 since Oct 2014 and have great success working hams. I have also worked the following countries from Estes Park CO- France, Canada, Belgium, Germany, Portugal and Ethiopia. Just like a broken drum "you cant beat it".


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Earlier 5-star review posted by K6OG on 2015-01-13

I have been using the SA-680 for a couple of months and couldn't be more pleased. I had purchased an ATAS-120 that did not work very well, there is no comparison between the antennas. I built a bracket out of 3/8" and 1/2" steel plate to Ubolt onto the headache rack of my F-250. I used a fold over mount from Breedlove mounts to complete my installation. I also built a bracket for the antenna to rest in when horizontal. I also spent a bunch of time properly grounding and bonding the body, doors, bed, tailgate and exhaust on the truck.
Trust me, this is one tough antenna.

My radio is a FT-857 with a Turbo Tuner antenna tuner. If for some reason the Turbo Tuner doesn't work I can always connect the switch that comes with the antenna. If you want to see the SA-680 mounted on my truck you can you can see pictures on Scorpion's web site.

The results that I have got with the Scorpion SA-680 have been great.

I choose the SA-680 because of it being very efficient and also for its power capacity. I Plan to add a 500W amplifier. The mechanical quality of the antenna is excellent. Also, Ron at scorpion antennas was very helpful. Ron and I talked on the phone several times and he also answered all of my emails very quickly. I spent a good deal of time on Alan's mobile HF website K0BG.com which is a tremendous source of good information on mobile HF equipment and installation.

If you are going to purchas a high-performance mobile screw driver antenna, I would recommend the SA-680.
AB1OC Rating: 2015-10-13
A Top Performing Mobile HF Antenna Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I can definitely recommend the SA-680 antenna for mobile HF. I installed this antenna in an F-150 pickup truck about 1 year ago and I have had great results with it. My setup includes a 4 ft rod and a CAP hat which further improves the efficiency and performance to this excellent antenna. I run a 500 W mobile amplifier and a screwdriver controller with the SA-680 and the combination is reliable, easy to operate and produces some pretty amazing contacts.

I have worked Japan on 75m SSB, South Korea on 40m SSB, India on 20m SSB and many other DX contacts HF mobile from my QTH in the NE USA (a total of about 120 DXCCs worked with the SA-680 so far). I have made about 1,000 contacts using the antenna in the last year and have not had any problems with the SA-680. One does need to spend some time to properly mount the antenna but a well executed installation will reward you with an excellent mobile HF station. For more on my setup, see our blog at http://stationproject.wordpress.com .

Ron has been great at providing advise and answering questions on the installation and operation of his antenna. He also provided me with a 160m add-on coil and matching system which has created some fun on 160m from the mobile. Ron wants to ensure that his customers have a good experience with his antennas and he spends the time to be sure that they do. The SA-680 is not the least expensive or easiest mobile HF antennas to install but it is certainly one of the best.


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Earlier 5-star review posted by AB1OC on 2014-10-16

I just completed the installation of a Scorpion SA-680 antenna in my Ford F-150 truck. I used a fold over bed bound from Breedlove mounts to complete my installation. I also spent a good bit of time properly grounding and bonding the body and exhaust on the truck. I am using the SA-160 with Scorpion's Cap Hat and 3 ft rod combination. I am using an Icom IC-7000 transceiver running 100w out to complete the setup. You can see pictures and more information about my installation on our blog at stationproject.wordpress.com.

The results that gotten with the Scorpion SA-680 have been outstanding. I am particularly happy with the antenna's performance on 80m and 40m. I am routinely receiving 59+ reports on 80m and 40m from US stations and 57 or better reports from DX stations on all bands.

I choose the SA-680 because of its potential to be very efficient and also for its power handling capacity (I am planning to add a 500W amplifier to the setup in the near future). The mechanical quality of the antenna is excellent. Also, Ron at scorpion antennas was very helpful in getting the installation of the antenna right. I also spent a lot of time on Alan's mobile HF website K0BG.com which is a tremendous source of good information on mobile HF equipment and installation.

If you are planning a high-performance mobile HF installation, I would recommend a close look at the SA-680.